Woman Heal Thyself by Viriam Kaur

I love that book by Jeanne Elizabeth Blum and have used it more than you know........

First of all I want to thank all of you for your support this past two months, yes, even those of you who I don't personally know in cyberspace.  Second of all, I want to acknowledge that I am one of the lucky ones, and I can't explain why.  I have incredible health insurance, and a husband who works very hard 12 hours a day at his job to provide that for me and my daughter.  So it gives me the privilege of having health care that so many people in our country do not have.  It gives me the privilege to go from Dr. to Dr. getting all of this support and help and I DO NOT take it for granted.  I am very very humbled and grateful.

For those of you who know me personally, it has been a roller-coaster ride to say the least!  I have had so many people praying for me. Thank-you so much.  For those of you close to me who will ask me why I am choosing to share this with the world, here you go:

I tell my story in the hopes of helping even ONE other woman out there in the world with the same issues as me.
I tell my story because I am human and realize, even as a deeply spiritual person, I do not control life, I just might affect it.
I tell my story because I am a teacher, but even more so, because I am a student.
I tell my story because I have to.
I tell my story because it scares the hell out of me to tell my story.

Because of chronic pain in my uterus, I was first told on July 12, 2011 I needed a full hysterectomy, I possibly had ovarian cancer and I was definitely going to lose my right ovary.

After several ultrasounds, I was told I had a 5 cm "complex cyst" on my right ovary (meaning it had tissue in it which could be malignant=possibly ovarian cancer + two other diagnosis I won't even go into......).  

Of course I immediately began doing research on-line about what this meant. I found forums, chat rooms, blogs, you name it, about women with my same issues and what they had been through. I pretty much resolved that I needed to go the "medical route" with this one. Ovarian cancer takes you FAST, it ain't nothin' to mess with, I have a small child for God's sake!

When I asked my Dr. how bad does it look, she said "it doesn't look good, we definitely need to biopsy it to make sure it's not cancer, you will probably lose the ovary, and quite possibly have a hysterectomy while you are under anesthesia". So ok, I thought, this is the card I was dealt......my husband and I both cried and hugged leaving the doctor's office that day. I apologized to my husband for having to deal with this, and then thought "wow, I'm a yoga teacher, spiritual leader and health promoter in my community, how is this going to look?". Yep, I actually thought that.

I am a classic generation X'er.  I believe in alternative and occidental medicine. I use them both. I have been criticized for this in the yogic community, but hey, I'm strong, I can take it.  I did decide to get several opinions before moving forward with the surgery. I had 3 specialists (EXPERTS in the field of oncology and uterine issues) tell me it was "impossible" for a complex cyst to go away and I should be more worried about it being cancerous than trying "alternative healing" techniques. My surgery was scheduled for August 24th! My 45th birthday, which I saw as a good omen :).  I accepted this........and was getting prepared.  I got all of my classes covered for 2 1/2 weeks for my surgery and recovery, and continued to teach all of my Yoga classes.  

Preparing for my surgery, I continued to do my acupuncture, juice my veggies, eat mostly vegan, stay off coffee, take my minerals and supplements, do my Hatha and Kundalini Yoga practice (yes, even with my pain) and added Yoga Nidra everyday.  I then dropped a yoga class, because after having a conversation with my cyst (Yes, Louise Hay in full effect!) I learned I was putting too much in the out-put box and not enough in the in-put box (e.g. self care). I continued to think positively and used ALL of my tools everyday, without fail.

My pain was getting less and less and exactly 6 days before my scheduled surgery, my pain was completely GONE.  This, after being in chronic pain for almost 2 months.  I called my doctor immediately and told her I needed an ultrasound because my pain was gone and I had an image of going into surgery and them finding NOTHING.  She tried to tell me it was impossible for the cyst to be gone, but I begged her to "humor me" (she's the one that backed my home birth, so she knows me well).  She told me to come in that day.

When I went in and she did the ultrasound she could not believe it, the cyst had shrunk to about the size of a cherry and was filled with fluid, it was no longer 'neoplastic'.  She was literally shocked.  She sent me to the radiologist right away and I went 4 days before my surgery. I am so happy to tell all of you that as of Aug. 23rd, the cyst is as small as a raisin.  Only 2 cm.  "Ok great!" I thought, "I'm cancelling the surgery".  

When I called the surgeon's office they really could not believe it and the nurse told me they still needed to do a

laperoscopy to biopsy it; to make sure it's not cancer.  
The nurse then told me and I quote "the cyst could have burst and be spreading cancer in your uterus". 

Meanwhile, 2 other doctors told me cancer does not shrink in size, and I did not need the surgery.  However the oncologist/surgeon STILL INSISTED I needed the surgery! 

YOU HAVE TO BE SO STRONG, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF SO MUCH 

I told them I WOULD NOT be coming in for surgery, and hung up.  

I then called the other specialist I had seen in Van Nuys who told me complex cysts DO NOT go away~(to share the great news).  The nurse then shared with me that yes, by gosh she did remember one woman whose went away, and "it came back 6 months later with a vengeance".  (Can I get a break here?) 

YOU HAVE TO BE SO STRONG, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF SO MUCH

I went ahead and made another appointment with YET ANOTHER SPECIALIST/EXPERT in the field, this time at one of the most reputable institutions in the country (possibly the world), Cedars Sinai. 

After seeing the oncologist at Cedars Sinai last week, he confirmed it was not cancer, cancer does not shrink, and also confirmed I DID NOT need surgery.  He could not explain how the complex cyst had shrunk, he said, it "rarely, if ever happens". He did however tell me I must continue to monitor it and have ultrasounds regularly and keep "doing what you're doing, you did something right".  His only question to me was "I'm just curious, why did you go back for another ultrasound before your surgery?".  I told him, "intuition".  Yogi Bhajan says "intuition is everything".

Again, thank-you all so much for being on this journey with me and allowing me to share my deepest truths.  I LOVE you all! Om Om Om, Sat Nam, in radiant health :)~ Valinda~Viriam Kaur

Certified Yoga Teacher E-RYT500  | Redondo Beach, CA
valinda@southbayyoginis.com |  www.SouthBayYoginis.com 
Click here to learn more about Viriam

Surprise!!!! This Moment may be EVEN more MIRACULOUS than you Ever Thought Possible! by Jeanette Pearson

This morn­ing, I was read­ing some tid-bits from one of my favorite blogs  and I came across a deli­cious mantra that has become my theme for the day. Accept What Is as a Miracle.

I can sum up my rela­tion­ship to this quote in one word "whoa". What this sig­ni­fies to me is a con­scious, deep, even rad­i­cal accep­tance of THIS MOMENT, as it is. It is a gen­er­ous act of sur­ren­der and grat­i­tude. So, it got me to thinking. What if this moment is even more mirac­u­lous than I EVER thought pos­si­ble?
What if the mir­a­cle is ever expan­sive and lim­it­less?
What if all I need to do to con­nect to this space of pos­si­bil­ity is BE with it and allow the mir­a­cle itself to expand from within me?
What if I am the mir­a­cle?
What if I am a reflec­tion of the mir­a­cle expand­ing from all things?
What if the impos­si­ble has “all of sud­den” become possible?

Regard­less of whether or not I am “right” about any of these “if’s”, I do know that I am will­ing to live pas­sion­ately in the space of mir­a­cles. I am open and up for the rad­i­cal sur­prise of what is. I am FULLY up to prac­tic­ing Accept­ing What is as a Miracle. How about you? Wanna Play? If so, read on and dive pas­sion­ately into the process. For all of you “Mir­a­cle Enthu­si­asts” out there, here is the prac­tice, an invi­ta­tion to dive into what is with accep­tance and grat­i­tude with­out shift­ing any­thing around, sim­ply notice the posi­tion­ing of your body, feel exactly how it feels.

Close your eyes and see if the feel­ing inten­si­fies.
If you notice any ten­sion, soften it out of the body through your breath
Feel your next exhale fully, allow­ing the mir­a­cle to unleash from within you
Feel your next inhale as it wells up, allow­ing the mir­a­cle of life to flood your body process.
Allow the feel­ing, just as it is, to unfold as a mir­a­cle
Repeat these breaths con­sciously and see how long you can cul­ti­vate your inhales and exhales.
Allow the prac­tice to be sim­ple and fluid, allow­ing for each breath to dive you deeper into the mir­a­cle.
Notice if you can slow down just enough to feel the space deep inside of you where each pulse of your breath rises and falls.
From a deep resonate know­ing, acknowl­edge your­self as a mir­a­cle
From a space of acknowl­edge­ment, open to the pos­si­bil­ity that you are even more mirac­u­lous than you ever thought pos­si­ble.
Repeat to your­self “I accept what is as a mir­a­cle“.
Share the mir­a­cle that you are abun­dantly with this world.
There is no limit to the mirac­u­lous power of your spirit.
As a mir­a­cle enthu­si­ast, inspire oth­ers to access the mir­a­cle in every breath by sim­ply being YOU!

Sound fun? If you end up tak­ing on the prac­tice, lemme know how it goes!
I would love to hear about what shifts. What trans­forms and that enlivens in your mirac­u­lous life process!!!
ROCK ON my friends!!!

Breathe Deeply ~ Live Fully ~ Love Infinitely

Certified Yoga Instructor, RYT-200 |  Solana Beach, CA
Jeanette@DynamicAsanaYoga.com | DynamicAsanaYoga.com 
Click here to learn more about Jeannette.

Nothing Like the Present by Shannon Lyons

"Times are a changing," sang Bob Dylan. I've never been much of a Dylan fan, but I can't get this song out of my head. This summer has started with a bang for me, with my acceptance into graduate school, a move back to the states from the island of Puerto Rico, and now a brand new Jala ambassador program in my life, I am filled with emotion.

Through so much change, an amazing shift of awareness has happened: I am completely present. Quiz me now and I'll recite my whole week back to you with vivid detail. (I'm feeling mighty confident!)

My husband and I decided that although we are sad to leave such an amazing place, we are embracing this new chapter by opening our arms wide to every experience, just for the sake of it. The uncertainty if we'll ever take part in the island life again has us out of our comfort zone and branching out. This seemed daunting and scary at first, but what a huge blessing! We're visiting places we always said we'd go & doing things we've always wanted because there is a time constraint. Why, just this weekend I skinny dipped with all of my best girlfriends here under the super moon, in the Caribbean, off a sail boat. Yes, I would say that is living in the moment.

Now, I understand this is not the ordinary day to day life everyone leads. However, let my story inspire you even in some minute way. Set a deadline for yourself, even if it is fictional or outrageous, and see what you can do. For example, have you always wanted to visit the parks in your town but never make time to do it? Plan a picnic by the end of the month and amaze yourself over the simple fun you can have. Need a huge change? Challenge yourself to kiss a stranger or save as much money as you can in 1 month for a vacation. Watch your life from a vantage point of a ticking clock countdown. Everyone knows the "life is short" mantra, but what can you do with that time frame?

This is yoga. Not just the sweating and breathing for an hour on your mat. Take what you've learned in class in expand it out there, in your own world. This is one of the greatest gifts yoga has shown me, and I'm living in love each and every day because of it.

Yoga Teacher | Rincon, Puerto Rico
shan.pr.yoga@gmail.com | www.ShanSurferYogi.Com
Click here to learn more about Shannon

The Royal Kumari by Chloe Park

Have you heard about the Royal Kumari? She lives in a palace in the center of the capitol city of Nepal, Kathmandu.

Kumari Devi. She is a young pre-pubescent girl, chosen as the incarnation of divine female energy. Otherwise known as the goddess. The people of Nepal worship her, adore her, love her for all that she’s done for them. But what exactly has she done? Nothing really. But what does she represent? Everything, really.

The Kumari Devi is never to leave this palace. Not until she reaches puberty. Her innocence and purity is honored and praised to the highest of reverence. She is just barely seen from the outsider viewing in, through thin sheaths of white chiffon veiling the full silhouette of her majesty.

She represents the Goddess. The Sacred One. The Holy One. Maha Shakti. God. Consciousness. Nature. The Divine. The Highest of all Highs.

The people of Kathmandu have created this young child to not only be a representation of this Holy One, but also to serve as a reminder. Situated prominently in the center of the Durbar Square, she lives in the palace, gracing the people of Nepal as the visual form of this great divine energy-- that is inexplicable and incapable of ever being caught. Her role is to serve as a channel to the Divine.

Life in the Eastern framework feels a lot more natural than Fox 11 News and McDonald’s.

What is your connection to the divine? That’s where spiritual practice comes in. Your yoga practice is your direct link to return back to the Source of all things. Especially in the modern times that we are living in, it is such a challenge to remember why it is we’re all here. There are many forces working against us, especially in the Western world.

Yoga Teacher | Bali, Indonesia
mail@chloeparkhealing.com | www.chloeparkhealing.com


Click here to learn more about Chloe

Yoga For Our Children by Texas Boesch

Hurry….!

This seems to be a mantra echoed in many homes by Moms everywhere.

We live in a fast paced world, we’re over-worked, over-scheduled and very often, over-stressed. And so are our children. Between competition at school, sports, after-school activities and homework, kids often feel a great deal of pressure. Thankfully, there is a way to counteract that stress…without a trip to the doctor or pharmacy. Just as Yoga is beneficial to adults, so it is to children as well.

As both a yoga instructor and a mom, I can tell you first hand, yoga and children are a perfect match. Children’s natural curiosity and flexibility lends perfectly to practicing yoga. While a class/session should be much shorter in duration than a class that an adult would attend, much of the same poses and principles can be applied. A half hour class is perfect for kids. As they get older, their attention span increases and they become more accustomed to the practice, more time can be added.

The key is to make it fun. Kids love animal poses…when children imitate movements and sounds in nature, they get an opportunity to experience a real connection to their world. In cat pose for example, children are familiar with seeing a cat arch its back and are able to imitate it with ease. With my own children, I often make a game out of our yoga practice; playing “Simon Says” with yoga poses. By keeping it fun, not only does it keep their interest, but it also keeps them coming back for more.

Interspersing breathing techniques and relaxation poses throughout the class gives children the chance to wind down and quiet their minds- skills that also help them in their daily life.  Reaping the true rewards of Yoga. Children respond well to guided meditations/visualization and it’s is a perfect way to end the class. Children will walk away from class feeling centered and calm.

Keep in mind, that children learn best by example. If they see you practicing yoga regularly, then chances are they will want to join in. What a wonderful way to spend quality family time together, than participating in something beneficial for body, mind and spirit.

Namaste

Texas Boesch, ERYT-500, Personal Trainer, Playa Del Rey, CA 

info@thefitnessunderground.com | www.thefitnessunderground.com

Click here to learn more about Texas.

What should I do? What should I do? By Amy Bishop

So many times when our lives are in turmoil, we turn toward another person (or many people!) for answers. Who do you call when times are tough? Your mom? Your best friend? Your therapist? And do you disguise your quest for yet another opinion as just wanting to talk, when really you’re hoping for some solutions to be offered? Do you ever find yourself wishing that someone would just tell you what to do?

Recently a friend of mine called me because she was having some guy troubles and wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue or to end the relationship. After a lengthy conversation of pros and cons, “well, but he’s…”, “I know, but…” and “yeah, but on the other hand…,” she said to me, “What should I do?” When I gave that annoying therapist response of answering with the question, “Well, what do you think?,” the answer was “I don’t know.” “Yes, you do,” I replied. “Yes, you do. You’ve just stopped listening to your inner voice.”

We seek answers from others all the time: we go to mechanics to figure out what’s making that noise under the hood; we go to doctors to tell us why we have a headache and sore throat; we ask our yoga teachers why something hurts or why we can’t do a posture. Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t seek the advice of professionals when it’s actually warranted, but what ever happened to listening to a gut feeling, following a hunch, or letting an instinct be heard? What ever happened to the question “what do I need to know right now?”

The next time that you find yourself frantically seeking advice as you try to make a personal decision, stop! Put down the phone. Don’t meet at Starbucks. Step away from Facebook. It’s time to look within.

Find a quiet, peaceful place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted. Turn off your phone, your computer, your ipod. Get out of your system all the fidgeting you need to so that you can be still. Then close your eyes and allow your breath to deepen. Notice any tension in your body and allow it to leave with the exhalation. Relax into yourself as you set aside any thoughts, worries or to-do lists. In the simplest way, such as “I’m concerned about ___________”, draw into your mind what is your area in question. If you don’t have a specific question, that’s fine! Then ask, “What do I need to know in this moment?” That’s it. Don’t try to reason through answers. Don’t try to process. Just allow. Allow the Universe, your internal guidance system, God, your Higher Power, your gut feelings- whatever name you want to give it- to respond. The answer may not come in that sitting. It may not come the next day. It may not even come in a week. But if you allow and are open and are receptive to signs, then you can trust that the answer is on its way. Begin to turn inward for answers. Practice. And soon you’ll discover that your intuition will grow stronger and will be more obvious. You’ll begin to trust your Self. And you will be on your way to a more connected, happier life than you ever will be if someone else is calling your shots.

Amy Bishop | Certified Yoga Teacher E-RYT500, Personal Trainer | New York, NY
imayogini@gmail.com

Click here to learn more about Amy.

Happiness & Peace of Mind are a Choice by Linda Baffa

 
“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years” - Abraham Lincoln
I pulled this quote out of the box of meaningful sayings at The Green Yogi where i taught yesterday.   And when you pull a card out of a box of meaningful sayings, you KNOW the first one you pull is the one you need.  Just like when you ask yourself a question in meditation, the first answer that comes up is the one you need.... I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot since yesterday morning at 8am.  Mostly, it’s simply been a strong reminder to me.  As ever since September 11th, 2001, I pledged to live my life to the fullest, knowing that it could be taken from me at any point in time.  Every day, Every year... I refuse to become complacent or unsatisfied in any area of my life.  And that is why I do yoga and meditation.  My daily practice connects me to create a peaceful and open mind, connected to my inner truth and intuition, so that I can live my best, most joyful life each and every day.  I will absolutely not settle for less.  Happiness and peace of mind are a CHOICE and are cultivated through a CHOICE to honor and practice them.   Don’t ever forget that. 
After I taught that 8am class, I had breakfast with two of lovely yoga friends and one of them said, “you know what’s crazy?  I’ve been having deja vu all the time lately.  Why do you think that is?”  I said... I think it’s because you are living the life you manifested.  You are living the life you want to live and the one that you have created for yourself.  Dreams and thoughts are so powerful that when you imagine yourself doing the things you want to do and living the life you want to live, they ACTUALLY happen.  So, dream the life you want to live.  Even if that dream is as simple as to just be happy.  See yourself smiling.  See yourself in situations that bring you joy and fulfillment.  And when you die, there will be no fear and no regret.  You will simply leave this world peacefully knowing you LIVED your life - the one you wanted to live. :)

Linda Baffa

Yoga Nani Owner | Certified Yoga Teacher 500Ryt| El Segundo, CA

lindasyoga@gmail.com |  www.yoganani.com

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Click here to learn more about Linda.